This invention relates to a passenger seat such as used on an aircraft, a leg module for a passenger seat, and a method of mounting a passenger seat to attachment points on a supporting surface, such as the deck of an aircraft fuselage.
Passenger seat frames are constructed from modular sets of components designed to be lightweight and conformable to various aircraft cabin conditions. The lower seat chassis is constructed of leg modules. A leg module includes a front leg, a diagonal leg tie and a back leg.
The upper seat chassis is constructed of section assembly modules. The leg modules and section assembly modules are assembled by attachment to lateral tubular beam elements to form a ladder frame assembly. A seat bottom and a seat back are mounted to the ladder frame assembly to form the passenger seat. The seat back typically includes a recline unit which allows the seat back to be moved between relatively upright and reclined positions for passenger comfort and ingress/egress requirements. The location of the section assembly modules is controlled by the aircraft fuselage lines and statutory aisle requirements. The section modules carry pivots for both sides of the seat back and an additional pivot on one side to carry the reaction loads of the recline unit of the seat back.
The location of the leg modules is controlled by the position of the aircraft floor tracks which extend along the length of the fuselage, and to which the seats are affixed by track fittings carried on the bottom of the leg module. Presently, aircraft passenger seats required three different leg module designs to accommodate the seat spacing requirements while fitting into the tract fittings.
The present invention permits a single leg module to be used for all seat spacing requirements.
Therefore, it is an object of the invention to provide a passenger seat which includes a leg module that can be used in different spacing configurations.
It is another object of the invention to provide a passenger seat which includes a detachable joint clamp that permits a single leg module to be used in different spacing configurations.
It is another object of the invention to provide a passenger seat leg module that can be used in different spacing configurations.
It is another object of the invention to provide a passenger seat leg module which includes a detachable joint clamp that permits a single leg module to be used in different spacing configurations.
It is another object of the invention to provide a method of constructing a passenger seat using a single type of leg module.
These and other objects of the present invention are achieved in the preferred embodiments disclosed below by providing a passenger seat which includes a seat bottom chassis assembled from a plurality of leg modules, the leg modules for being attached to fixed, spaced-apart attachment points on a supporting surface, and a plurality of beam elements for being carried by the leg modules. A plurality of clamp joints are positioned on a first side of the leg modules in a first laterally-offset relation thereto in a first spaced-apart relation to the attachment points of the supporting surface and for receiving the plurality of beam elements for defining a ladder frame assembly having a first specified width and seat spacing. The plurality of clamp joints are removable from the first side of the leg modules can positioned on a second, opposite side of the leg modules in a second relation thereto for defining a ladder frame assembly having a second specified width and seat spacing while the plurality of leg modules maintain the same position relative to each other and thus to the fixed, spaced apart attachment points whereby the location of the seats may be altered while using the same beam elements.
According to one preferred embodiment of the invention, the passenger seat includes a seat back recline assembly, comprising a plurality of seat section assembly modules carried by the leg modules, and a seat back unit pivotally-mounted between two of the section assembly modules for permitting the angle of the seat back relative to the seat bottom chassis to be varied as desired by the passenger, a recline unit for controlling movement of the seat back and locking the seat back in a desired recline position.
According to another preferred embodiment of the invention, each of the leg modules comprises a rear foot block and floor tie assembly, a front leg, and a diagonal leg tie connecting the rear foot block and the front leg. A first one of the plurality of clamp joints is connected in laterally-offset relation to one side of the diagonal leg tie intermediate the rear foot block and the front leg, and a second one of the plurality of clamp joints is connected in laterally-offset relation to one side of the front leg.
According to yet another preferred embodiment of the invention, the clamp joint comprises an attachment element for being attached to the leg module and an annular collar element for receiving a beam therethrough.
According to yet another preferred embodiment of the invention, the clamp joint attachment element includes holes therein for receiving attachment bolts therethrough and through mating holes in the leg module.
According to yet another preferred embodiment of the invention, the clamp joint collar includes an axially-extending split therein for allowing the collar to be spread sufficiently to receive the beam therethrough, and a threaded fastener adjustably connecting the collar on opposite sides of the split for permitting the collar to be tightened locking the beam in place within the collar in a predetermined position and loosened for permitting the beam to the removed from or shifted axially within the collar.
According to yet another preferred embodiment of the invention, the passenger seat includes first and second spaced-apart leg modules. The clamp joints of the first leg module are positioned on a left side thereof; and the clamp joints of the second leg module are positioned on a right side thereof.
According to yet another preferred embodiment of the invention, the passenger seat includes first and second spaced-apart leg modules wherein the clamp joints of the first leg module are positioned on a right side thereof, and the clamp joints of the second leg module are positioned on a right side thereof.
According to yet another preferred embodiment of the invention, the passenger seat includes first and second spaced-apart leg modules wherein the clamp joints of the first leg module are positioned on a left side thereof, the clamp joints of the second leg module are positioned on a left side thereof.
According to yet another preferred embodiment of the invention, a passenger seat leg module is provided, and comprises a rear foot block and floor tie assembly, a front leg, a diagonal leg tie connecting the rear foot block and the front leg, and a first clamp joint for being connected in laterally-offset relation to a selected one of a left or right side of the diagonal leg tie intermediate the rear foot block and the front leg for receiving a beam therethrough. A second clamp joint is provided for being connected in laterally-offset relation to a selected one of a left or right side of the front leg for receiving a beam therethrough.
An embodiment of the method of mounting a passenger seat to attachment points on a supporting surface comprises the steps of providing a seat bottom chassis including a plurality of leg modules, the leg modules for being attached to fixed, spaced-apart attachment points on a supporting surface, a plurality of beam elements carried by leg modules, and a plurality of clamp joints. A clamp joint is attached to each of the plurality of leg modules for clamping the plurality of leg modules together in spaced-apart relation to each other, each the clamp joint having a hole therethrough for receiving a beam element. The plurality of beam elements extend through an opening in the clamp joints for defining a ladder frame assembly having a predetermined width and seat spacing.
According to yet another preferred embodiment of the invention, the method includes the steps of removing the beams from the clamp joints, removing the clamp joints from one side of the leg modules and attaching the clamp joints to an opposite side of the leg modules, and extending the plurality of beam elements through respective openings in the clamp joints to define a ladder frame assembly having a second specified width and seat spacing.
According to yet another preferred embodiment of the invention, the method includes the steps of positioning the clamp joints of a first leg module on a left side thereof, and positioning the clamp joints of a second leg module on a right side thereof.
According to yet another preferred embodiment of the invention, the method includes the steps of positioning the clamp joints of a first leg module on a right side thereof, and positioning the clamp joints of a second leg module on a right side thereof.
According to yet another preferred embodiment of the invention, the method includes the steps of positioning the clamp joints of a first leg module on a left side thereof, and positioning the clamp joints of a second leg module on a left side thereof.